Nature is teaching us that very simply, and very quickly, she can bring humanity to its knees. We are a part of her eco-system, and she is not a slave for the rich and consumer hungry nations. Pillage her resources, damage her eco-systems, and kill her bio-diversity; she has the potential to decimate the human species. COVID-19 is a severe warning.
Nature is resilient, resourceful, and regenerative. If we would like to continue to enjoy life on this planet, she is our greatest ally. COVID-19 is proving that as humans, we, too, are resourceful and resilient. Amidst the loss, sadness and fear, there is a great sense of solidarity and enormous acts of kindness and selflessness. However, our society is built around an economy that is not regenerative.
Today governments across the globe are scrambling to manage broken health care systems and invest hundreds of billions in company rescue packages to salvage their devastated economies. We have yet to see the full ramifications of our first global pandemic. There is no doubt; very few will escape untouched.
Yet crises are also the source of enormous opportunity. This crisis is no exception, and perhaps it offers the most significant opportunity of our time. To rethink the way we live going forward. Einstein said the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” For us to continue to drive an economy designed to take – make- dispose of – would seem impossibly foolish. Yet few consumers and businesses know how to consume otherwise. Linear ways are so embedded; we even address sustainability through a linear lens.
The circular economy is the economic model that mimics biological life cycles; it is restorative and regenerative by design. It offers a way forward for us to live with the abundance that nature provides while living within planetary boundaries. Make no mistake; it is not a quick fix, and there are no short cuts. However, for companies facing economic turmoil, looking at nature’s cycles may offer the tools necessary to regenerate and to rise once again.
As the global economy has screeched to a halt, companies across industries are being forced to downsize, with many facing inevitable collapse. Companies and as individuals, we are challenged to slim down, to reconsider our needs, and to utilize the resources we have to their maximum potential. It is a chance to design out waste. What if we began to look at every ingredient as a nutrient? Imagine the abundance we would create.
We cannot separate ourselves from nature. As part of her eco-system, we are interconnected and interdependent. To be successful, we need to seek partnerships, to share resources, information, and to collaborate to reap mutual rewards. Working in silos will only suffocate innovation as mono-cultures suffocate bio-diversity.
The threats posed by climate change have not been enough to draw humanity together. With COVID-19, nature has potentially thrown us a lifeline for us to recognise our shared humanity, how we can thrive and coexist in her world.
Coevolve is here to support businesses and consumers as we collectively pursue lifestyles aligned with nature. If we can assist with information, making connections, and sharing events with our community, please be in touch.
Stay safe, healthy and full of creativity.